Highlights: During my time spent in Ghana, I definitely learned more outside of the classroom than at school. As for academics, my most memorable class was the course I took with my study abroad program (CIEE) called “Seminar on Living and Learning”. This class was dedicated to learning about Ghana and comparing it to the United States. Although I enjoyed having classes integrated with Ghanaian students, this class consisted of all American students, while the teacher was Ghanaian. This class covered everything from social noarms, values and traditions, to non-verbal communication, gender roles, facial expressions, and more. It was discussion-based, and we spent a majority of class discussing real life events that happened to one of the class members. This class helped all of us understand Ghana as much as we could.
There’s this dance called “Azonto” which originated in Ghana a few years ago. It is so popular in Ghana that you’d think kids learn how to dance Azonto before they learn to walk. After four months of training, I finally felt comfortable enough to show off my Azonto moves in public. I dedicated an entire day to spontaneously busting out my best Azonto moves in front of locals. Ghanaians LOVE it when white people try to dance, especially when it is their own dance they started! By the end of the day, everywhere I went, people yelled “Azonto Boy!” as I walked by their shops. Every time I danced, my subpar Azonto moves generated smiles and laughs. I even made a video.
Morning: I wake up around 8:30, crawl out of my mosquito net, and begin my morning routine. I walk to class and arrive around 9:40, ten minutes late. Most days, showing up ten minutes late means I’ll still beat my professor there! Classes are two hours long and meet once a week, so if they start 15 minutes late, it isn’t such a big deal. I’m done for the day at 11:30! After class, I walk to the International Programs Office to relax in air-conditioning and enjoy free WiFi. Both are not so easy to come by! On my way, I buy bananas from a plate balanced on a woman’s head. She is delighted to see/serve a white person.
Afternoon: I start the afternoon at an outdoor market for lunch with some friends on my program. The food may not look familiar, but you can get a lot for very little money! I provoke a big smile from the food vendor when I speak a little Twi, the local language. I chug some water from a square plastic “sachet” bag to stay hydrated. I call a Ghanaian friend of mine to see if he wants to hang out. I ask if he’s busy, and I’m not surprised when he tells me, “Not at all!” I stop at his dorm and hangout for a while, meeting many of his friends and neighbors that I probably won’t remember, though they’ll definitely remember me (because I’m one of the only white people they’ve ever met!).
Evening: I jog around campus in the evening, smiling back at everyone who stares at me. After my workout, I shower, load up with bug spray, then contemplate my options for dinner: I could cook American food with some of the other international students, order something from the café on the first floor of my dorm, walk to the market, or call up one of the many generous Ghanaians who love to share their cooking with me. After dinner, I can watch a movie, hang out with others in my dorm, or go to an all-Ghanaian dorm on the other end of campus to hangout and dance with my local friends. Around midnight, I slowly fall asleep, while I’m smiling at my thoughts of today’s memories, so thankful that I am studying abroad in Ghana!
Read more about Jeremy's experiences in Ghana on his blog: It's Ghana be a Great Time!